1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is generally related to client-server communications and is more specifically related to simplifying user interaction with a SAP server and extending SAP functionality to mobile and intermittently connected devices.
2. Related Art
Conventional SAP software products focus on enterprise resource planning (“ERP”). These products are delivered by way of an SAP environment which employs a SAP R3 server as the primary server to deliver these software products. SAP provides five major enterprise applications including ERP, customer relationship management (“CRM”), product lifecycle management (“PLM”), supply chain management (“SCM”), and supplier relationship management (“SRM”).
As illustrated in FIG. 1, a conventional SAP system 10 includes a SAP R3 server 20 that has a data storage area 25. The R3 server 20 is connected to a plurality (only one is shown) of SAP GUI clients 60 that allow users to interact with the various applications provided by the application server module 30 and data managed by the data base module 40 on the SAP R3 server 20. The R3 nomenclature is generally understood to reflect the 3 tier architecture of a SAP system that includes the database 40, the application server 30, and the client 60 (SAP GUI client). In the SAP system, the SAP GUI client 60 is connected to the R3 server 20 via a wired or wireless network 50 that allows the R3 server and client to maintain a persistent connection across the network 50.
Often, customers that use the SAP R3 system 10 desire to make changes to certain user interfaces. Making such changes is cumbersome at least and can often require expensive custom programming in the Java language or the Advanced Business Application Programming (“ABAP”) language.
Additionally, users of the SAP R3 server 20 are unable to interact with the various applications and/or data to accomplish their work unless they are sitting in front of a computer running the Microsoft® Windows® operating system and also running the SAP GUI client 60. One significant drawback of the SAP R3 system 10 is that the SAP GUI client 60 only runs on the Windows operating system, which therefore precludes use of the SAP system 10 for a very significant number of potential user input devices.
Some attempts at providing the ability for a mobile device to communicate with the SAP system 10 have been undertaken. These solutions have problems such as being limited to only those devices that support web based applications. Web based applications also face challenges due to the cumbersome and difficult to use interface. Other attempts at a mobile solution include custom applications that communicate with the SAP server 20 using the limited SAP business application programming interface (“BAPI”) that are implemented using remote function calls (“RFCs”).
Furthermore, these limitations of the SAP R3 system 10 require that employees in the field conduct business transactions manually. For example, a sales person brings paperwork containing information regarding the potential customer, price lists, discount schedules, etc. to a sales call. The sales person must manually create a quote to deliver to the potential customer during the sales call or make verbal commitments to the customer. After providing the potential customer with a manually created quote or a verbal commitment, the sales person continues with sales calls throughout the day. When the sales person returns to the office, the manually created quote and/or verbal commitment information is entered into the SAP R3 server 20 ERP system, which then can generate the official quotes that can be delivered to the customer. A similar process must be followed for orders from the customer, e.g., received orders must be subsequently entered into the SAP R3 server 20 to make them official.
Therefore, what is needed is a system and method that provides improved communications with a SAP system to overcome the significant limitations and problems found in the conventional SAP systems described above.